Lamp August 2019 by NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association

REGIONAL HOSPITALS

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

PROFESSIONAL DAY

REGULARS

Rural nurses win better equipment

Nurses rally over assaults

Attitude, diet and exercise are key if we are to age successfully

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Your rights and entitlements at work Nurse Uncut – your stories What nurses and midwives said Nursing research online

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THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION VOLUME 76 NO. 7 AUGUST 2019

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COVER STORY

Proud to be by your side At Health Professionals Bank, we know you work hard to improve the lives of all Australians. That’s why we’re dedicated to working just as hard to make banking better for you. We were also proud to be sponsors at the recent NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association Annual Conference, because we understand that these forums focus on the critical issues to do with the nursing and midwifery professions. The importance of members having an opportunity to be heard is something close to our heart as well, because when you join Health Professionals Bank, you become more than a customer – you become a member, and you become part of a bank where everyone gets one equal share and an equal say at the annual general meeting.

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CONTENTS Contacts NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association For all membership enquiries and assistance, including The Lamp subscriptions and change of address, contact our Sydney office. Sydney Office 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 (all correspondence) T 8595 1234 (metro) 1300 367 962 (non-metro) F 9662 1414 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au W www.nswnma.asn.au

VOLUME 76 NO. 7 AUGUST 2019

Hunter Office 8–14 Telford Street, Newcastle East NSW 2300 NSWNMA Communications Manager Janaki Chellam-Rajendra T 1300 367 962

For all editorial enquiries, letters and diary dates T 8595 1234 E lamp@nswnma.asn.au 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 Produced by Hester Communications T 9568 3148

Press Releases Send your press releases to: F 9662 1414 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au Editorial Committee Brett Holmes, NSWNMA General Secretary Judith Kiejda, NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary O’Bray Smith, NSWNMA President Michelle Cashman, Long Jetty Continuing Care Richard Noort, Justice Health Printed by Ovato Print Pty Ltd 37-49 Browns Road, Clayton VIC 3168

Advertising Danielle Nicholson T 8595 2139 or 0429 269 750 F 9662 1414 E dnicholson@nswnma.asn.au

Information & Records Management Centre To find archived articles from The Lamp, or to borrow from the NSWNMA nursing and health collection, contact: Jeannette Bromfield, Coordinator. T 8595 2175 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au The Lamp ISSN: 0047-3936

General Disclaimer The Lamp is the official magazine of the NSWNMA. Views expressed in articles are contributors’ own and not necessarily those of the NSWNMA. Statements of fact are believed to be true, but no legal responsibility is accepted for them. All material appearing in The Lamp is covered by copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission. The NSWNMA takes no responsibility for the advertising appearing herein and it does not necessarily endorse any products advertised. Privacy Statement The NSWNMA collects personal information from members in order to perform our role of representing their industrial and professional interests. We place great emphasis on maintaining and enhancing the privacy and security of your personal information. Personal information is protected under law and can only be released to someone else where the law requires or where you give permission. If you have concerns about your personal information, please contact the NSWNMA office. If you are still not satisfied that your privacy is being maintained, you can contact the Privacy Commission. Subscriptions for 2019 Free to all Association members. Professional members can subscribe to the magazine at a reduced rate of $30. Individuals $84, Institutions $140, Overseas $150.

COVER STORY Back to basics

Nurses and midwives have no choice but to engage politically on issues that impact our patients, says NSWNMA Assistant Secretary General Judith Kiejda. Unions must learn how to win campaigns that encourage more young people to join their ranks.

COVER STORY Aged care campaign racks up gains

Better aged care staffing is firmly on the public policy agenda after a year of strong campaigning by nursing unions around the country.

COVER STORY Reflections on Annual Conference

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Editorial Your letters Competition News in brief NSWNMA Education Ask Judith Nurse Uncut Facebook Nursing Research Online and Professional Issues Crossword Book Club At the Movies Diary Dates

RURAL NURSES

Rural nurses win better equipment A union training course was the catalyst for a winning campaign to improve hospital services in two country towns.

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE Nurses rally over assaults

A spate of attacks highlights growing risk of dementia-related violence – and need for better staffing.

REGIONAL HOSPITALS

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

PROFESSIONALDAY

REGULARS

Rural nurses win better equipment

Blacktown tba

Attitude, diet and exercise are key if we are to age successfully

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Your rights and entitlements at work Nurse Uncut – your stories What nurses and midwives said Nursing research online

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THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION VOLUME 76 NO. 7 AUGUST 2019

PROFESSIONAL DAY

26 Avg Net Distribution per Issue

REGULARS

The Lamp talked to two first-timers and a second-timer on their impressions of the 74th annual conference.

Psychological welfare is a health and safety issue Employers have a legal responsibility to manage psychosocial hazards, says Dr Carlo Caponecchia.

PROFESSIONAL DAY

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In tough times we stick together and build our strength In the past year we didn’t get all the outcomes we wanted, but our campaigns have still been effective, says NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes.

COVER STORY Privatisation battles ‘point the way’

COVER STORY

Ageing well Attitude, diet and exercise are key if we are to age successfully, says Professor Susan Kurrle.

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OUR COVER Image by Sharon Hickey THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 3

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EDITORIAL

Brett

Holmes GENERAL SECRETARY

Stronger together Over the last year strong campaigning by nurses and midwives has kept our high priority issues in front of the public.

We have just completed our 74th annual conference and, as always, it is an opportune moment to take stock of our efforts and achievements over the past year. The first half of this year was punctuated by a state election and a federal election within months of each other – a true test of our campaigning capacity. The effort and commitment shown by members and staff during this time was staggering. In both elections we were driven and energised by a singular goal – the achievement of shift-by-shift ratios in the public health system and in aged care. While those ultimate goals remain we have still made a lot of progress. The community is more aware and supportive of our aspirations for ratios. The state government has responded to our campaign with a promise to introduce more nurses and midwives into the public health system. The Labor opposition committed to the introduction of shift-by-shift ratios. And the crisis in aged care has been brought out of the shadows and is front and centre in public discourse. In his speech to annual conference NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard generously conceded that the Association’s campaigning and advocacy had played no small part in getting Treasury to agree to fund extra nurses in the public health system and to make improvements in rural and regional hospitals (see p17). We now have a task to ensure the

‘ No progress will be made without hard work, sacrifice and the will to fight for it.’ Liberal-National government delivers the additional 893 nurses and 48 midwives promised over four years, on top of what is required to meet normal growth. The crisis in aged care is no longer being ignored thanks to relentless campaigning by our members in that sector. This culminated in a heartbreaking expose by Four Corners and the subsequent announcement of a Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety by the federal government.

WE CAN’T REST ON OUR LAURELS These improvements in multiple areas is heartening but we can never rest on our laurels. There are always powerful interest groups who want to push back on any gains we make. No further progress will be made without hard work, sacrifice and the will to fight for it. We have been effective in the past because of the strength we have in our branches and in our workplaces. But if we want to be even more effective we have to continue to build that strength, to build the power of our collective. We also have no choice but to engage politically on issues that impact our patients. I understand that for many of our members that is difficult. But we have to recognise that societal issues

such as climate change, trade, tax systems and privatisation all have an impact on people’s health. It is our duty to be aware, informed and engaged on these issues as union members and citizens if our democracy is to be functional and if we want to achieve our goals. Martin Luther King once said: “The arc of history is long and it tends towards justice.” It is a salient lesson for all trade unionists who are committed to making our society better, including nurses and midwives who are determined to make our public health and aged care systems among the best in the world. We need to be patient and persistent. As Mr King alluded, history shows us that comprehensive campaigns that challenge ingrained practices and behaviours in society do take time. Sometimes decades. It is worth reflecting that this was our 74th annual conference. It is a marker of a long and brilliant history. So much of what is good in our professions and in our health system is a legacy of what nurses and midwives who came before us, fought for. Now it is our turn to come together, combine our strength, build our own history and to add to that legacy. n THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 5

YOUR LETTERS

COMPETITION

Have your

Say

Never give up Thank you for your positive attitudes and collaborative approach to the entire three days of Annual Conference. It was a supportive and friendly atmosphere; I came away feeling inspired and excited by the talent and wealth of new ideas from our membership.

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For the best price on your next stay, enter the promotion code ‘BOOKSMART’ when booking direct with Abode Hotels.

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I wish more members could come to conference and see the Association in action. It isn’t just a building at Waterloo. It is you and me and all those other nurses and midwives who pay their dues to belong. I don’t know what the future holds for us, hopefully RATIOS, but what I do know is I am so proud to belong.

O’Bray Smith If there’s something on your mind, send us a letter and have your say. The letter of the month will WIN a gift card.

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*Conditions apply. Special offer: Rooms subject to availability. Offer must be redeemed online at abodehotels.com.au with the promotional code BOOKSMART. Competition: Rooms subject to availability. Prize includes two nights’ accommodation at Abode Murrumbateman for two (2) adults in a Terrace Room, with continental breakfast daily (per person) and complimentary parking. Prize must be redeemed by 31 December 2019 and is valid for stays Sunday to Thursday nights (excluding NSW School Holidays, Public Holidays or special event periods). Competition entries from NSWNMA members only and limited to one entry per member. Competition opens 1 August 2019 and closes 31 August 2019. The prize is drawn on 1 September 2019. If a redraw is required for an unclaimed prize it must be held up to 3 months from the original draw date. NSW Permit no: LTPM/19/04224

6 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

Our education team put together a brilliant session with guest speakers from different campaigns, to look at how they gained momentum and were creative in their actions; ‘Lock the Gate’, ‘Democracy in Colour’ and ‘We Won’t Wait’ were represented. All these campaigns shared the idea that change is slow but worth the energy and sacrifice. They too had stumbling blocks but never gave up and today, have gained success. For me, the takeaway message from Annual Conference was the high levels of harassment and violence in the workplace. I had tears in my eyes listening to delegates. No one should be made to feel violated in the workplace. No one should feel vulnerable and unsupported. Despite the roundtable on violence in healthcare we seem to have made little to no improvement for the nurses and midwives in their daily work. Health policies regarding ‘zero tolerance’ in the workplace seems to have been lost in cyberspace as we heard managers tell our new grads, “get used to it as it’s just part of the job”.

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Union Shopper Letter of the Month.indd 1

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SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: Editorial Enquiries EMAIL lamp@nswnma.asn.au fax 9662 1414   MAIL 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017. Please include a high-resolution photo along with your name, address, phone and membership number. Letters may be edited for clarity and space. Anonymous letters will not be published.

Connecting and engaging midwives The NSWNMA Midwives Facebook page is now accessible! There are increasing workloads issues coming out of maternity services. This group has been created with a purpose of connecting and engaging midwives all over NSW, addressing issues and moving towards meaningful action. The page is run by organisers from the NSWNMA and a group of keen midwives. We attended a breakout session during Annual Conference where we were able to meet together, introduce ourselves, and discuss midwifery issues. Midwives have identified their concern that babies are not included in staffing numbers, the impact this has on decreasing breastfeeding rates due to a lack of support, and the readmission rates of both mothers and babies. We have a vast cohort of midwives in the group with a range of experience. It is exciting to have such a strong group of midwives coming together. It’s a great way to network and support each other in the continued fight for ratios in maternity services. Sarah Morton Midwives can join this Facebook Group on: www. facebook.com/groups/NSWNMAMidwives

Humbled and energised

So long, Sydney, and thank you to the NSWNMA for creating such an engaging conference! It was an incredible opportunity to meet so many different nurses in one place, and who were positive and willing to share their own experiences. I was humbled by this learning experience, and I’m feeling energetic in returning to the workplace to help create change. Until we meet again, aloha!

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

STRONGER

ICC, SYDNEY | 3-5 JULY 2019

SPONSORS NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association gratefully acknowledges the sponsorship provided by the following companies for our Annual Conference held at ICC 3–5 July 2019

First State Super Nurses & Midwives Health HESTA ME Bank AHP Healthcare Scott & Broad

Health Professionals Bank

Commonwealth Bank

Ovato

Chifley Financial Services • Fuji Xerox Hester Communications • Union Shopper The Association also thanks the following companies for their contribution and assistance: DB Health • Dorset Cereals • DU’IT Tough Hands Dying with Dignity • Ferndale JILA mini mints Invite E – Vitamin E • Lindt & Sprungli • NEW Law Ocean Spray • WaterWipes

Kate Goodman

LETTER OF THE MONTH The first of many Thanks for a great three days. It was a great experience at my first of what I know will be many conferences, and whilst I wasn’t brave enough to speak up this year I have taken a lot on board and will be back next year with more confidence. Thank you to all of the organisers and NSWNMA: every single element of the conference was well organised and enjoyable from the accommodation to the food and especially the content. Emma Gassman

THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 7

COVER STORY

In tough times we stick together and build our strength In the past year we didn’t get all the outcomes we wanted, but our campaigns have still been effective.

he political and industrial climate is bleak and the only way for the Association to weather these stormy times and prosper is to build our strength at the local level, NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes told our Annual Conference. “There’s no sugar-coating the challenging political, economic and industrial climate the union movement and by default, you as union members are operating under. We see it clearly, and each of you are experiencing it firsthand,” he said.

‘ If we continue to show tenacity, resolve, and courage, our public support will continue to grow and governments will be forced to listen.’ — Brett Holmes

“Down in Canberra, new federal industria l relations minister, Christian Porter, is already planning another review of workplace laws – using the Coalition’s May election victory as a mandate for more unpleasant reform.”

Brett said a priority for the Association over the last few years has been to strengthen the Association’s presence in the workplace.

Under gover n ment s who are hostile to workers and their unions there is no legislation that allows unions to run sector-wide bargaining, run pay equity cases or run work value cases, Brett said. “It’s clear that under conservative Coalition governments, legislation will continue to get even more 8 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

draconian – unless we can turn the power balance around.”

STRONG WORKPLACES WILL DELIVER SUCCESS

“We’ve been achieving this through significant organising reforms and important member leader development. “Building collective strength at local workplaces and empowering your fellow members to take on management is paramount to achieving success and longterm outcomes. “We acknowledge there is mild

trepidation out there to take on these challenges, but with strong leaders, courageous members, and support from your union it is possible to achieve positive results.” Brett said achieving substantial change in health and aged care can seem like an impossible task – until it’s done. “History shows us, comprehensive and strategic campaigns that challenge ingrained practices and behaviours in society do take time – but they are necessary. “ Toget her, we’ve made a considerable impact over this past year. If we continue to show tenacity, resolve and courage, our public support will continue to grow and governments will be forced to listen. This is where our strength lies.”

COVER STORY

RATIOS STILL THE GOAL Although the state government continues to resist ratios, nurses and midwives remain resolute in their commitment to win them in the interests of patient safety. This may require different approaches than in the past, says Brett. “A recent survey of public health members overwhelmingly confirmed that you want to keep up the fight for ratios in NSW. In order to do that, we must build up our collective power. “Private hospital members are no different; and our aged care members desperately need a real staffing solution.” There is no choice but to continue to fight if we are to safeguard “the delivery of safe patient care within a world-class health system that should be the envy of the globe”, he says. “We must hold management to account. We must have the courage to close beds. We must engage our local communities for support. And we must seek out members of parliament and highlight our issues repeatedly, until we see change. “We are driven by the values and beliefs that represent fairness and social justice – these values are not only shared among us at the bedside, but also by our patients and our local communities.” ■

Some setbacks but big steps forward as well While our campaigns for ratios in the public health sector and aged care are ongoing, there have still been significant achievements over the last 12 months resulting from our campaigning, says Brett Holmes: • The High Court agreed with our arguments that the government’s new electoral funding laws should be deemed ‘unconstitutional’ and threw them out. • Both major political parties in NSW turned to us for input on their health policies, while the minor parties and independents sought our advice on health and then supported our calls for change. • The Berejiklian government finally acknowledged Nursing Hours Per Patient Day in B and C hospitals must improve. • Our pressure has pushed the state government to fund an additional 893 nurses and 48 midwives in the public hospital system over the next four years. • Action by the NSWNMA stopped the government’s attempts to cut public sector workers’ long service leave entitlements. • Efforts to legislate ratios in aged care continue to make ground and the crisis plaguing aged care is finally receiving the attention it deserves.

THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 9

COVER STORY

Back to basics Nurses and midwives have no choice but to engage politically on issues that impact our patients.

he NSWNMA has had to reassess its traditional approach to industrial negotiations over the last eight years in light of the intransigence of the state government, Assistant Secretary General Judith Kiejda told Annual Conference. “That negative response over the last eight years left us no alternative but to convert existing campaigns into political campaigns as it became clear that only changes of government at state and federal levels could deliver our ratio agenda,” she said. “There are still members who don’t understand why we have to engage in party political campaigns. To them I say – when the government of the day is invested in ignoring nurses and midwives’ pleas that are backed by evidence – to change the way things are done, be it in public hospital sector or the aged care sector, we have no alternative.”

10 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

‘ We need to be informed and engaged as members of the union and society on issues such as climate change, trade, tax systems and privatisation.’ — Judith Kiejda

Judith said nurses and midw ives must a lso have a n understa nding of t he broader issues that impact on people’s health.

societal issues have an impact on people’s health.”

“Along with campaigns that govern our working conditions we have a responsibility to participate in issues that have the capacity to impact negatively on a decent society.

“When we have South Pacific neighbours watching their atolls sink due to rising water levels – something is severely wrong. When the schoolchildren across the globe are marching for their future environment, we must back them up.

“We need to be informed and engaged as members of the union and society on issues such as climate change, trade, tax systems and privatisation. All these

Climate change in particular, she says, is “having a real impact on the health of people”.

“The nursing and midwifery professions have an important

COVER STORY

role to play. There are many of us who connect daily with everyday people – so we are very well placed to educate others about climate change and its health impacts, but to do that we need to be aware and be informed.”

BIG ISSUES SIDELINED Similarly, the impact of tax and trade issues on the poor and vulnerable cannot be ignored, Judith says. “ We must understa nd government decisions and how they impact public services. We need to understand and be able to articulate the argument that if you are given a personal tax cut, then that robs the central pool of funds from which we pay for essential public services, like health, education and infrastructure. “A progressive fair tax system not only provides more resources for public services it stimulates the economy.” Judith says people want a better

Australia than is being offered to them by politicians. “Current research suggests that Australians do care about each other, we do want a democracy that is good for everyone, we do believe that all Australians should have access to good public services and we also believe that governments should by and large administer those services. We do believe in a fair go.” Yet, she says, important issues with long-term consequences, like privatisation, are sidelined at election time. “Yes, we ran a super-fantastic campaign to save five regional public hospitals from privatisation and then we look at the current debacle that is the Northern Beaches Hospital – where we ran a million-dollar campaign. “The locals wanted a shiny new hospital despite our warnings of the realities of such a privatisation. Now we have to watch the users of that hospital suffer.

“It’s no fun to say ‘I told you so’.” It is time to go back to basics if the union is to achieve its goals, says Judith. “ We k now f rom recent experience that wins only occur when we stand together. If we truly want mandated ratios in any sector, the only way we can achieve that is to convince whoever the decision maker is, that’s the employer, and in the public health system that’s the government, to change its view. “ That w ill only happen when we have built enough workplace power – more members with more engagement – that politicians become scared of losing the next election. “Your union leadership and staff are committed to steering this ship in a way that will put us in a place where we can win. We cannot keep working the way we did in a previous industrial climate and expect the outcomes to be different. We must change our approach.” ■ THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 11

COVER STORY

Privatisation battles ‘point the way’ Unions must learn how to win campaigns that encourage more young people to join their ranks.

uccessful campaigns to stop privatisation of regional hospitals in NSW have shown workers they can win industrial battles when the union movement is strong, ACTU Secretary Sally McManus told Annual Conference. Sally said unions must “give people hope that things can be better, that jobs can be more secure, that we can win fair pay rises, or, like you did, that privatisation is not inevitable and can be stopped.” “Unless people believe things can be better, it’s hard to get them on board to push for positive change.” In recent years, NSWNM A members have led community campaigns that stopped the NSW government from selling five public hospitals: Wyong, Goulburn, Shellharbour, Bowral and Maitland. The state government abandoned the privatisations due to fierce public opposition. Local communities backed their nurses and made it clear they did not want their public hospitals turned into profit-making operations. Sally said the union movement had to learn lessons from the failure of its “Change the Rules” campaign at the May federal election. “We have to learn from our setbacks and keep going,” she said. “One of the lessons I take from the last election campaign and Change

12 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

‘ One of the lessons I take from the last election campaign and Change the Rules is that it is going to take much longer to win over enough of the general public to our cause.’ — Sally McManus, ACTU Secretary

the Rules is that it is going to take much longer to win over enough of the general public to our cause. “We need to take stock of our messages to the public. Do we need to make things simpler? “Every day, workers are having their wages stolen or are struggling in insecure work. Or they can’t pay the bills because they haven’t had a pay rise for years. “Most of these people are non-union members. How do we speak to them and bring them to our movement? “If we do nothing, union membership will continue to decline and workers’ rights will continue to go backwards.”

UNIONS NEED TO INSPIRE Sally said young people were repeatedly told that casual work “is just the way things are, or it is just the way the world is going”. “They are even told it’s their choice or their fault that they don’t have jobs with rights. “We need to inspire them and show them that change is possible and change comes through the union movement. “I have seen young people all of a sudden join campaigns and unions and take part in protests outside cafes that aren’t paying people their legal entitlements. “They are sending a message to other young people that ‘We don’t have to put up with this anymore.’ ” ■

COVER STORY

Aged care campaign racks up gains Better aged care staffing is firmly on the public policy agenda after a year of strong campaigning by nursing unions around the country.

‘ Two NSW assistants in nursing stood up for their residents and gave evidence to the royal commission and I think their courage deserves to be recognised.’

ursing unions around Australia have made significant progress in their national campaign for aged care staffing ratios, the NSWNMA Annual Conference heard. Annie Butler, federal secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), said the public was increasingly aware that nursing homes were not properly staffed. “Over last 12 months, ANMF members have campaigned across the country, in big cities and small towns, seeking support from the public and commitments from politicians,” she said. The staffing campaign had achieved a number of important gains over the past year and the ANMF was now “fully engaged” with the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The commission had heard the union message on staffing “loud and clear” and commission hearings had received a lot of media coverage. Annual Conference delegates responded with a round of applause when Annie said: “Two NSW assistants in nursing stood up for their residents and gave evidence to the royal commission and I think their courage deserves to be recognised.” She said political support for aged care ratios was growing.

— ANMF federal secretary Annie Butler

Just over a year ago, only one federal politician – Senator Derryn Hinch from Victoria – had pledged support for the ratios campaign. By the May 2019 federal election, 96 politicians had officially signed up to the campaign. “The federal election outcome wasn’t the outcome we wanted,” Annie said. “We had no commitment from this government – and we got a half-way commitment from the ALP – but we do have some allies in this government.”

TWO NURSES NOW IN FEDERAL PARLIAMENT Annie said there were now two nurses in federal parliament – independent MP Helen Haines, a former nurse practitioner and midwife, and Ged Kearney, the

shadow assistant minister for aged care and skills who is a former secretary of the ANMF. “We will continue to work with them and other alliances we have been building with other nursing and midwifery groups, other health professionals, and the wider community.” She said ANMF branches had made staffing gains in health care sectors outside aged care. Victorian nurses had secured improvements to their ratios legislation to deliver another 600 nurses and midwives for the state. Queensland nurses had secured funding to make 400 Nurse Navigator positions permanent. And in NSW, at a local level John Hunter Hospital nurses had shown the way by winning additional staff for their emergency department. ■ THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 13

COVER STORY

Reflections on Annual Conference The Lamp talked to two first-timers and a second-timer on their impressions of the 74th Annual Conference.

Nepean mental health branch secretary and delegate Aislynn Kearney, Enrolled Nurse Greg Cleary from Wilcannia Multi Purpose Service and Cooma Hospital nurse Kate Goodman have their say.

14 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

COVER STORY

Waste not says Kate

ooma Hospital nurse Kate Goodman came away from annual conference with a renewed determination to promote reuse and recycling of hospital waste. Kate, a new graduate in her first year of nursing, was one of three Cooma delegates to conference. “The conference was brilliant,” she said. “I loved the professional day – particularly the talk by Craig Reucassel, presenter of the ABC TV series The War on Waste. “He was entertaining while also being factual. I liked the fact that he was open to listening to health professionals talk about their concerns regarding waste. “During the discussion, one of our members raised the issue of what to do with out-of-date products that are perfectly sterile. I suggested they think about donating them to their local university or hospital education department. “I know from my own studies that we don’t have a budget to buy materials for teaching purposes. Putting expired products to use in education would reduce waste and help student nurses. “For example, they are teaching us how to cannulate but we don’t have the actual cannulas or the right kind of vials needed to draw blood. The same goes for sterile dressing packs, wound bandages and the like.” Kate says Cooma Hospital’s recycling service is limited and not well known among staff. “The hospital has just four 600L recycling skip bins which rapidly reach capacity. The overflow must wait for the next pick up, which means the bins are full again almost immediately after they are emptied. “I didn’t know we even had a recycling service. I had to actively seek out this information, which should be common knowledge among staff.” Kate says the younger generation is very aware of environmental concerns regarding waste. “You can see this awareness all the way from the kids who are marching for action on climate change through to little things such as people who bring their own cup or drink bottle to work.” She said Craig Reucassel’s speech was useful because he broke down the process of creating change into a series of steps. “His message was to start simple, pick something accomplishable and start with that. Start with something you know you can handle, that will get people on board and is really doable.”

Kate says the younger generation is very aware of environmental concerns regarding waste.

A forum for the bush to be heard

or Enrolled Nurse Greg Cleary, Annual Conference was a rare opportunity to put an issue vital to remote area nurses directly to NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard. Greg works at Wilcannia Multi Purpose Service and went to conference as a delegate of the union’s Far West Rural and Remote branch. He asked the minister if he was aware of a management attempt to introduce a new model of care that breaches the award and current MPS policy by failing to provide two nurses on night shift for the Level 2 emergency department, while the ambulance is dispatched. The proposed new model of care would leave one RN with a security officer/cleaner in the hospital while the ambulance is dispatched with a crew comprising an enrolled nurse and Aboriginal health worker – with or without volunteer ambulance officer accreditation. Greg said this would reduce the current level of care and safety standards and is opposed by the ENs on staff. Mr Hazzard said he wasn't aware of the issue and would look into it. “I was pleased the union took the issue seriously enough to allow me to present our case to the minister and give him an opportunity to respond if he chose to,” Greg said. “I felt that it was an opportunity for people from the bush to be heard in a state-wide forum. “Our branch feels very strongly that the proposal puts patient safety at unnecessary risk and will not provide any community benefit. “It’s driven by a desire to cut costs but all our staff feel it is false economy as well as being unsafe.” Greg said his question to the minister led to discussions with nurses from other branches who face the same problem. He said the conference professional day was “highly motivating”. “I enjoyed the presentation by Isaac Astill, a young activist on the Stop Adani campaign. His grassroots campaigning has helped to unite people from opposite ends of political spectrum, such as the greenies and the cockies.”

‘ The conference professional day was highly motivating.’

THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 15

COVER STORY

A great chance to network

mong the newcomers to annual conference was Nepean mental health branch secretary and delegate Aislynn Kearney. Aislynn said she found the whole conference very useful. “Being able to learn from many other members and feel a part of a much bigger union collective was so beneficial,” she said. “The best part was being able to meet co-workers and build networks with other branches. I learned more about how to deal with certain issues that mental health branches face, such as getting an activities nurse on each shift or improvements to the duress system. “I was able to speak with nurses from other branches who had dealt with those issues in the past and had some ideas and suggestions about them. “The professional day was really interesting and a lot of the presenters had fascinating ideas to share with us – ideas that could help us further the nursing profession and our union goals.

“Nurses face many issues around conditions of patient care and working conditions for nurses on the ward. Sometimes, dealing with those issues can feel like an isolating uphill battle. “It was encouraging to hear from other branches who are going through the same thing and to know that we can work together. “It was my first annual conference and I recommend anyone who gets an opportunity to attend a future conference should do so.”

‘ The best part was being able to meet coworkers and build networks with other branches.’

2019 DIABETES

UPDATE DAY

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diabetesupdateday.com.au or call 1300 136 588 16 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

Presented by

COVER STORY

Our pressure paid off Minister of Health acknowledges NSWNMA role in improvements to public health system.

‘ The reality is that because of the hard work that was done by the Association … Treasury, despite the pressures on our budget, agreed there would be another $2.8 billion (for health) over the next four years.’ — Brad Hazzard

he NSW health system is “huge” and always under pressure but the cont r ibut ion of “ou r incredible staff” helped produce incredible outcomes, the NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard told Annual Conference. “It’s a challenge but we do actually lead the country in most health indicators. I think that is not just because of our massive budget but because of people like you, frontline staff, who are doing their damnest on every single day to get positive outcomes,” he said. “ There are of course big challenges and one of them is the growing population we have in NSW particularly in and around Sydney but in some of our major rural towns as well. And with that growth comes the need for more and more staff.” Mr Hazzard conceded that the Association played a major role in creating an awareness of staffing issues. “It is interesting how these things can cut through the bureaucracy and get to a minister. One of the ways is to have your President or Brett (Holmes) or Judith (Kiejda) talking to me about the issues and making sure I’m aware of them. “Brett and Judith had been conveying the Association’s views for more staff. Of course they were (also) conveying – we didn’t end up agreeing – the issue around ratios versus nursing hours per patient day. They were conveying it very well.”

CONVINCING TREASURY IS DIFFICULT

has said. We can’t agree on absolutely every point but we have listened.

Mr Hazzard pointed out that convincing Treasury to provide funds beyond the current $27 billion health budget was difficult.

“Also, over the next four years, I have got Treasury to agree – again on the back of your Association who were pushing the issue very hard of the regional hospitals, the smaller hospitals – the Peer Group C hospitals, the Peer Group B hospitals where, of course, it is five and 5.5 nursing hours per patient day in the medical and surgery wards.

“The problem I have as your minister and the minister in NSW, when I sit down at the budget table with Treasury, they look at me with steely eyes and say: ‘You realise you are already consuming about a third of the entire state budget on health’.” “The reality is that because of the hard work that was done by the Association … Treasury, despite the pressures on our budget, agreed there would be another $2.8 billion (for health) over the next four years. “We’re doing that and we’ve listened to what your Association

“So, Treasury has rolled over on that as well and agreed they will fund over the next four years (an increase) from five and 5.5 to six nursing hours per patient day making it the equ iva lent of (Peer Group) A hospitals. So you’d agree that is a very big positive.” n

THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 17

Viola Morris, Heather Ryan and Ma Jeanne Diane Bulaon

“This is what union bosses get up to behind closed doors,” t Secretary Sally McManus with a video of hundreds of nurse doing the Macarena.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE DINNER 2019 It might have been midwinter but you wouldn’t have known it at the 74th Annual Conference dinner. The Hawaiian Luau theme brought out an explosion of colour, flowers and summer vibes.

Wagga Wagga branch winners of best themed group – Piña Colada with NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holm

Best Male: Paul Kaye, Best Female: Angela Ditrich 18 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

NSWNMA Councillors

tweeted ACTU es and midwives

John Hunter branch

Fortunata Alves

mes Salim Barbar, Unions NSW and NSWNMA Councillor Michelle Cashman

THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 19

REGIONAL HOSPITALS

Rural nurses win better equipment A union training course was the catalyst for a winning campaign to improve hospital services in two country towns.

ombala Multi Purpose Service (MPS) and Delegate MPS will get life-saving d ia g no s t ic e qu ipment thanks to a community campaign organised by NSWNMA branches.

a public meeting in Bombala, which heard presentations from NSWNMA members Tania Cuzner (Bombala MPS) and Lucinda IngramBates, Yvonne Camm and Barbara (Delegate MPS).

The campaign resulted in the state government agreeing to fund a bladder scanner at Bombala and an iSTAT bedside testing machine and vein finder for Delegate.

Barbara said the well-attended meeting was supported by local groups including the Delegate Progress Association and Bombala Rotary along with Country Labor Party state election candidate Bryce Wilson.

Bombala (population 1500) and Delegate (population 450) are in the Monaro region south of Cooma. Both facilities have emergency departments that service a large, isolated area extending into Victoria.

PETITION GARNERS SUPPORT NSWNMA branches and community groups also launched a petition

calling for improved health services for the area. The petition said the Southern NSW Local Health District (LHD) had jeopardised patient care by failing to provide equipment to allow nurses to follow care pathways. Branch representatives presented the petition containing more than 1100 signatures to Deputy Premier and local MP John Barilaro. Branch representatives later met with then shadow minister of health Walt Secord, Bryce Wilson, Bombala GP Dr Colin Pate and members of the public.

Barbara Tiernan, secretary and delegate of the NSWNMA branch at Delegate MPS, said the community campaign was prompted by an “informative and inspiring” training day organised by the NSWNMA. “It was a very good training course that showed us how to plan a campaign to get public support for action to improve services in our communities,” Barbara said. “Following the course, Delegate and Bombala branches agreed to work together towards the common goal of trying to improve access to healthcare and medical services in Delegate, Bombala and the surrounding area.” The branches jointly organised 20 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

NSWNMA members Lucinda Ingram-Bates, Barbara Tiernan and Tania Cuzner present the Bombala and Delegate community petition to Deputy Premier John Barilaro.

REGIONAL HOSPITALS

‘ Everyone had a story to tell about the problems arising from lack of doctors in the area and some were in tears.’ — Barbara Tiernan

“Discussion centred around the lack of medical staff and equipment and resulted in the Country Labor Party making a pre-election commitment to provide $30,000 to each facility for the purchase of equipment,” Barbara said. In March, Mr Barilaro announced funding of $105,000 for the purchase of an iSTAT machine and vein finder for Delegate MPS and a bladder scanner for Bombala MPS. He commended staff at both facilities for “their commitment to improving care and better resources for those in the community”. “Nurses in Bombala and Delegate do an incredible job caring for each and every person, as if they were caring for their own family member,” he said.

MINIMAL SERVICES FOR MASSIVE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA Barbara said the equipment would allow nurses to properly fulfil their professional obligations in regard to following NSW Health clinical pathways for conditions such as chest pain, sepsis and stroke. “The equipment will also enable treatment for certain conditions to begin immediately instead of after transfer, which may take several hours,” she said. “A bladder scanner will help to

prevent transfers to South East Regional Hospital in Bega for this procedure. “In addition to the promised medical equipment the LHD has employed a doctor to service the emergency department at Bombala until June 2021. “Delegate MPS and township has not had a doctor since 2007. More medical staff are needed in the area as it is unsustainable for one doctor working in ED and also working as a GP to maintain this level of service. “When no doctor is available in Bombala ED, the doctor in Cooma ED is responsible for an area extending from south of the Victorian Border to the north of Cooma and into the mountains – a massive geographical area. “With a lack of GPs in the area many people travel long distances to other towns to seek help. “Old people and those with young families find this particularly difficult because there is little or no public transport in the area. “When we collected signatures for the petition we spoke to hundreds of people. Everyone had a story to tell about the problems arising from lack of doctors in the area and some were in tears.”

NURSE RECRUITMENT A PROBLEM The petition also raised the issue of the Telehealth service installed in Delegate several years ago. It is connected to Cooma but not to Bombala. Barbara said this meant nurses at Delegate MPS were unable to communicate with the Bombala ED doctor via Telehealth. “Nurses at Delegate have asked for Telehealth to be connected to Bombala, which would be a very useful service,” Barbara said. “Nursing recruitment is also a major problem – as it is in most of the state – and agency nurses are widely used.” The NSWNMA is now seeking assurances from the LHD that the $105,000 will be used to buy the specified equipment and not be diverted elsewhere. Barbara said Delegate and Bombala branch members have visited the head of nursing, midwifery and clinical governance in Queanbeyan and written letters to the nursing executives, managers and CEO requesting that the grant not be spent on anything other than the requested equipment. Branches have also sought a meeting with local and executive managers. ■

THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 21

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

Nurses rally over assaults A spate of attacks highlights growing risk of dementia-related violence – and need for better staffing.

series of assaults on staff at a Blacktown Hospital aged care unit has highlighted the increasing risk of dementia-related violence in the health care system. The assaults also underline the need for fast action to provide a safer working environment for nurses and other health workers. More than 50 nurses and midwives rallied outside Blacktown Hospital to call for action following eight assaults on staff in a specialised aged care unit over a three-week period. Nurses in the 8-bed unit were punched in the face and chest, choked, indecently assaulted and spat at. The NSW NM A’s Blacktown Ho spit a l bra nch ca l le d on the state government to urgently fund extra staff and additional security measures. The branch said the unit did not have enough staff with the required skills to deal with people with severe behavioural issues. 22 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

‘ Every single nurse knows what it’s like to get hit. We all get hit at some point.’ — Katie Conciatore

Branch steward Katie Conciatore said nurses were happy to attend the rally and show support to their colleagues in the specialised aged care unit because, “Every single nurse knows what it’s like to get hit. We all get hit at some point.”

patients would have been admitted to the Rupertswood aged care psychiatric unit at Mount Druitt hospital, but it was shut down in 2017.

She said violence in the unit had got worse in recent years.

“Branch members have said they are frightened to call in sick because that would leave the unit short staffed and increase the chances of their colleagues getting hit.

NOWHERE ELSE TO GO Blacktown Hospital and western Sydney hospitals generally had seen a significant increase in assaults by people with cognitive impairments including dementia. “We are getting a lot of patients with severe behavioural disturbances admitted from nursing homes or their own homes. “Previously, many of these

“As a result, there is nowhere else to place these patients other than in hospital.

“ The unit was origina lly commissioned to care for people with moderate behavioural problems. “It was never supposed to accom modate pat ient s w it h severe behavioural issues because when it was commissioned we had Rupertswood.

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

“The model of care proposed in 2014 was not accepted due to lack of funding. So, the unit was never appropriately staffed even for p e ople w it h mo derate behavioural problems.” Blacktown branch held a meeting to give staff a chance to voice their concerns and discuss measures to improve the running of the unit. The branch called for a review of the model of care to provide a longterm staffing solution. It also called for a number of short-term measures – some of which management has accepted.

LHD AGREES TO MORE STAFF A f ter meet ing NSW NM A branch and state officials, Western Sydney Local Health District management agreed to increase nurse numbers from two to three on each shift. It also agreed to allow staff to temporarily transfer to other units in order to get a break. Management also approved the development of an education plan to

give all unit staff the required skills. The branch is pushing for a multi-disciplinary approach to care with regular behavioural management meetings. Katie said this should include greater input from social workers, occupational therapists and doctors to provide better pain management. “Behavioural patients don’t respond to unmet needs in the way other patients do. If they are in pain they are more likely to punch rather than verbalise. “We need a dedicated social worker to work on getting patients placed in appropriate facilities that provide a calmer and more familiar daily environment. “Hospitals are not an appropriate environment for dementia patients with severe behavioural issues. The unit is too loud and there are too many people around, which gives rise to increased aggression.” Katie said there had already been a noticeable improvement in behaviour in the unit as a result

of better staffing and greater involvement from a social worker, which resulted in some patients being placed elsewhere. “We are also getting security specials to come in so they can intervene before a code black has to be called. “It is great that management are helping, however these are short term solutions. We need permanent funding for a model of care that suits moderate to severe dementia behaviours.” NSWNMA General Secretary, Brett Holmes, said the recent spate of violence at Blacktown Hospital was of grave concern. “Clearly, there is a need for additional funding to be allocated for appropriate resources within this unit,” he said. “Nurses and midwives show up to work to care for their patients. They do not show up to be assaulted in their workplace.” ■

THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 23

PROFESSIONAL DAY

Psychological welfare is a health and safety issue Employers have a legal responsibility to manage psychosocial hazards, says Dr Carlo Caponecchia.

hen managers at one workplace offered staff the opportunity to have a massage at work, the stress levels of employees increased, according to Dr Carlo Caponecchia, an expert in psychosocial workplace safety and a senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales. “Staff became so tense … because they had to finish all their work quickly before going to get massaged and then come back to finish the work they weren’t able do before they got their lovely massage,” Dr Caponecchia told delegates who attended a recent NSWNMA professional day. If they aren’t well implemented, wellness and resilience programs can backfire, says Dr Caponecchia. He gave another example of workplaces that encourage employees to bike to work and then don’t provide showers or spaces to park bikes. Even more importantly, he said, wellness programs are too often used to ‘tick a box’ when they should just be one small part of an organisation’s psychological health and safety plan. “Preventing psychological injury in the first place should be the main focus of a workplace,” says Dr 24 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

Caponecchia. “Organisations have a responsibility to make sure that what they are doing in their organisation, and their work systems, don’t cause harm.” Psychosocia l work place hazards can include any aspect of work, including job content, work orga nisation, repor ting relationships and environmental and organisational conditions that have the potential to cause psychological harm. And employers have a legal responsibility to manage them just like any other workplace health and safety issue, says Dr Caponecchia. “Managing psychosocial hazards is part of workplace health and safety duties. The Workplace Health and Safety Act now explicitly includes psychological health, but it was always there implicitly.” Employers need to apply a basic risk management model to psychosocial hazards, which means controlling hazards at the source, being preventative, and not focusing on interventions that are about individuals, Dr Caponecchia says. “ The assumptions of risk management are that we are being proactive and preventative. We are not sitting around waiting for

things to go wrong. We’re predicting them and we’re acting before people are harmed.” “Rather than just telling people how to get some help with how they are feeling … redesign what is going on in the workplace that is making them feel that way.”

FOCUS ON FIXING THE WORKPLACE Instead of telling people how to get better or how to deal with workplace issues better, employers should instead focus on fixing the workplace. Too often, however, employers are putting the responsibility back onto employees, Dr Caponecchia says. “We’d never accept these kinds of individualistic strategies in other kinds of hazards. Where someone works in a noisy work environment, can you imagine ever telling them to just get better and deal with the noise? At the very least we’d give them some hearing protection. And that would be at the very bottom of controls. What should happen is trying to reduce that noise, trying to use a different machine that makes less noise and trying to isolate that person from the noise.”

PROFESSIONAL DAY

‘Rather than just telling people how to get some help with how they are feeling … redesign what is going on in the workplace that is making them feel that way.’ — Dr Carlo Caponecchia

Often mental health issues and psychosocial hazards are being dealt with under human resources, but they need to be dealt with in workplace health and safety systems, he said. “All the frameworks and the guidance for managing psychosocial hazards are all pointing in that direction.” Psychosocial factors also contribute to other types of injury, most notably musculoskeletal disorders and manual handling issues, according to Dr Caponecchia. “They are absolutely fundamental to workplace health and safety. They should be one of the first things we should talk about when we are thinking about work and when we are thinking about safety.” He advises employees to ask questions about whether their workplace treats psychosocial safety as a health and safety issue. “When you go to the safety meeting, asking whether psychosocial issues are included is a very practical first step.” The language used is important too. Dr Caponecchia recommends avoiding using terms such as ‘complaints’ and ‘grievances’, which make something sound like a personal issue, and instead use the word ‘reports’. “When people are experiencing an issue that is of a psychosocial nature they should be making a ‘report’, not a complaint and not a grievance. ‘Report’ is the language of safety.” Dealing with psychosocial risks does not have to mean completely overhauling a workplace. “When people hear ‘work’ design they think they need to knock the system down and start again, but it is about making small, manageable changes, talking to people and being collaborative about how work can change. Who could report to who differently? How can the workflow change? It can be about making small changes that make big differences.” ■

Resources on psychological health and work Safe Work Australia has issued a guide called Work-related psychological health and safety: A systematic approach to meeting your duties. Issued by Safe Work Australia in 2019. www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/system/ files/documents/1806/work-related_ psychological_health_and_safety_ guide.pdf A new international standard on Safety Management Systems has been adopted in Australia AS/NZS ISO45001. It explicitly says that organisations now have to include how work is organised as part of their safety management. This can include identifying factors such as workload, work hours, victimisation, harassment and bullying, leadership and the culture of the organisation.

THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 25

PROFESSIONAL DAY

Ageing well Attitude, diet and exercise are key if we are to age successfully, says Professor Susan Kurrle.

renchwoman Jeanne Louise Calment took up fencing when she was 85 and she bicycled until she was 100, when the local gendarme confiscated her bike because her deteriorating eyesight meant she kept running into people. According to geriatric specialist Professor Susan Kurrle, Calment also drank port daily and she ate nearly one kilogram of chocolate each week until she died in 1997 at the age of 122. She also smoked two cigarettes a day, but because she lived in an upstairs apartment “she walked up and down three flights of stairs to smoke them”. Speaking at the NSWNM A profe s sion a l d ay, P rofe s s or Kurrle outlined the latest research on ageing, and what we can learn about “ageing successfully” by studying people such as Calment. Ageing well is an increasingly impor tant issue as the life expectancy of Australians steadily increases. “We are currently adding a month to life expectancy every year that we live,” says Professor Kurrle, the Curran Professor in Health Care of Older People at the University of Sydney. “Every twelve years life expectancy goes up by a year.” Australian women can now expect to live to at least 85, “but if we steer clear of chronic disease, that can be at least 90,” she says. “Kids being born today … can expect to live to 100.”

26 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

While in theory these numbers should be cause for optimism, much of the talk around ageing is negative, she notes. “The Productivity Commission, our managers, the Ministry of Health, all talk negatively about the ‘grey tsunami’, but I bet there is no-one … that doesn’t want to be part of that grey tsunami.” What can we do then to age successf ully a nd avoid agerelated conditions such as dementia, frailty and sarcopenia (a decline in muscle mass)? Unfortunately, Professor Kurrle says, one of the most important factors in ageing is one we can’t control. “Longevity is heredity so the first thing you have to have is the right genes.” There are, however, three other key factors determining whether we age well that we can influence: our attitude, our diet and our approach to exercise. “Having the right personality is the second thing: being positive, and Jean … was definitely positive. And you can actually change from being a very negative person to being a positive person, and certainly there are programs [to help you achieve that].”

EXERCISE HAS MULTIPLE BENEFITS Being physically active is crucial: exercise lowers your risk of a whole spectrum of age-related illness, including dementia, now the leading cause of death in

‘ It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you are doing some exercise.’ — Professor Susan Kurrle

Australian women. Exercise also lowers rates of “depression, breast cancer, bowel cancer and frailty,” Professor Kurrle says. Exercise, both aerobic and resistance training, is also key, particularly in combating sarcopenia – the age-related loss of muscle mass. “We lose about one per cent of our muscle mass from age 30,” says Professor Kurrle, who assesses elderly patients’ lower body strength with sit-to-stand tests, where she observes their ability to repeatedly

PROFESSIONAL DAY

Professor Kurrle’s seven tips for aging well

1 2

Do 30 minutes of brisk walking five times a week (you can do it in two lots of 20 or 15 minutes each day)

stand from a seated position. The 30-second exercise allows Kurrle to test your quadriceps and hamstrings, which she calls the “independence” muscles. “If they get weak you can’t get in and out of a car and, most importantly, on and off the toilet.” When these muscles decline “you walk slowly, and you can’t get across the pedestrian light in time. You are much more likely to fall and more likely to end up in hospital. If you are in hospital you are more likely to stay longer and end up in residential care. You are also much less likely to recover well post-operatively”. The third key factor in ageing well is nutrition, Professor Kurrle says, and she endorses the often-cited Mediterranean diet. “Increasing fresh fruit and vegetables, increasing your avocados and olive oils and decreasing saturated fat is probably the diet to live longest.” Contrary to what we might think, our need for protein increases as we age. While we need around 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of our body weight per day when we are younger, our need for protein grows with age. “Once you hit 75 you need 1.5 grams per day, nearly double,” says Professor Kurrle, noting that most hospital and aged care meals are often protein-poor. It is never too late to adopt habits that will promote healthier ageing, says Professor Kurrle, and she recommends doing things that are easy to incorporate into your everyday life (see box).

o to the gym or buy yourself G a set of 2kg or 3kg weights – about $10 from Target – leave them by your kettle and do a set every time you have a cup of coffee

3 4 5

Do some balance training: stand on one leg while brushing your teeth every morning

6 7

tay curious and interested S in others: staying mentally and socially active is important

are for grandchildren: C minding grandchildren predicted significantly higher cognitive function in women (two or three days a week is ideal)

I ncrease protein intake to 1.5 grams per day per kilo of body weight over the age of 75

Decrease saturated fats and increase good oils such as omega -3

“It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you are doing some exercise.” ■ THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 27

NEWS IN BRIEF

WORLD

HPV vaccine has led to massive drops in cervical cancer Research published in The Lancet medical journal shows the human papilloma virus (HPV) jab has been hugely successful in reducing infections among young women and girls. The study has raised hopes that cervical cancer can be eliminated “within decades”. HPV, which is sexually transmitted, can cause cervical cancer as well as anogenital warts. Data from high-income countries shows vaccination has led to an 83 per cent reduction in HPV infections in 15 to 19-year-old girls over five to eight years. Among women aged 20 to 24, infections are down 66 per cent. Major reductions also took place in anogenital warts and precancerous lesions, which can be the precursor to cervical cancer.

AUSTRALIA

Health before high-income tax cuts say voters Australian voters say it is more important to maintain funding for services such as health and education than giving workers on high incomes a tax cut, according to a Guardian Essential poll. A strong majority, 78 per cent, said maintaining government investments in health and education was more important than legislating a tax cut for workers on incomes of $200,000. Threequarters of respondents said people earning more than $150,000 should pay a higher rate of tax than workers earning $40,000. Voters under 34 were more likely to support the tax cuts than retirees. People on higher incomes were more supportive of the tax cuts that people on more modest incomes. The ACTU says the government’s tax plan will “put cleaners, farm workers and shop assistants in the same tax bracket as senior executives” and will “slash government spending on infrastructure, aged care, pensions, hospitals, schools, scientific research, industry development, skills training and universities to make up for the lost revenue”. ACTU Secretary Sally McManus slammed the government’s priorities. “The third stage of the tax cuts fundamentally changes the progressive nature of our tax system. It puts people on barely more than the minimum wage in the same tax bracket as people who are paid five times as much,” she said. “Why should the office cleaner and the CEO be in the same tax bracket?”

‘Why should the office cleaner and the CEO be in the same tax bracket? — ACTU Secretary Sally McManus 28 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

The World Health Organization is setting goals for reducing the number of cases of cervical cancer to no more than four per 100,000 of population. Prof Marc Brisson from Laval University, one of the researchers, told The Guardian: “We’re working with the WHO, using mathematical modelling to determine when elimination would occur. “We don’t have a precise date. High vaccine coverage has to be maintained. It depends on the country and how much coverage and screening there is.” There is no data from less wealthy countries, where the highest numbers of women die from cervical cancer. In 2018, there were 569,000 cases of cervical cancer worldwide and 313,365 deaths, 80 per cent of which were in poorer countries.

‘ The World Health Organization is setting goals for reducing the number of cases of cervical cancer to no more than four per 100,000 of population.’

NEWS IN BRIEF

THE NETHERLANDS

Music festival strobes can trigger epileptic fits The chances of having a seizure at a nighttime music festival are 3.5 times higher than during a daylight festival due to the impact of strobe lighting.

AFRICA

Congo’s conflict hinders containment of Ebola The Ebola outbreak in the Congo continues to spread despite the availability of an effective vaccine. There have been more than 2100 cases of Ebola and more than 1412 deaths confirmed in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the last year. The latest outbreak has now spread to Uganda. Experts say these figures “should never have happened” since the development of a vaccine with a 97.5 per cent efficacy rate since the last significant outbreak of the disease in west Africa in 2014. “We are looking at one of the most complex health emergencies the world has seen,” John Johnson of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) told The Guardian. Containment of the disease has been hampered by a long-standing breakdown in security, and widespread violence. “The history of conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has led to a suspicion of outsiders; rumours that health workers are making money from the crisis – or that Ebola doesn’t even exist – continue to circulate. Aid agencies have been accused of failing to address community mistrust,” The Guardian reported. “There have been repeated attacks on health workers and facilities, slowing down vaccination programs. Health workers have resorted to using police escorts, which has in turn exacerbated a feeling of intimidation among local people.” According to the British Medical Journal over five million people died in the civil war in the DRC between 1998 and 2008. Despite a peace deal between the government and rebel groups, ongoing violence has continued to the present day.

Dutch researchers compared the number of seizures during concerts held in daylight with the number during night-time or indoor concerts, where strobe lighting is more intense. They found the rate of epileptic seizures was 3.5 times higher in people attending indoor or night-time events than during a daylight festival. The study was based on data from 28 electronic dance music festivals with more than 400,000 attendees held in the Netherlands in 2015. It was published in the peerreviewed journal BMJ Open (Vol 9, Issue 6). There were 30 epileptic seizures recorded for the 2,222,196 person hours of night-time festivals, and nine epileptic seizures for the 2,334,360 person hours of daylight festivals. The researchers standardised the figures to show the expected number of seizures during a nine-hour festival attended by 10,000 people: • 1.2 seizures for a night-time festival where people were exposed to strobe lighting • 0.35 seizures for a daylight festival About one in three people who had a seizure at daylight or night-time festivals had been taking ecstasy. The researchers said: “EDM [electronic dance music] concerts almost always use stroboscopic light effects. This study strongly suggests that such light effects markedly enhance the risk of epileptic seizures among visitors.”

‘ This study strongly suggests that stroboscopic light effects markedly enhance the risk of epileptic seizures among visitors.’

‘ We are looking at one of the most complex health emergencies the world has seen.’ — Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 29

NEWS IN BRIEF

AUSTRALIA

More of the same union bashing The dust has barely settled on the federal election and the Morrison government is already preparing laws aimed at the jugular of the union movement.

AUSTRALIA

Indigenous workers win historic stolen wages claim The Queensland government will pay $190 million in “stolen wages” to settle a class action representing 10,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers. Legal experts say the settlement will put pressure on NSW, Western Australia and the Northern Territory to strike similar agreements, with similar class-action compensation cases already underway. More than 10,000 former workers or their descendants in Queensland will share the $190 million pool, the fifth-largest class action award made in Australia. The Australian described the settlement as “important as the High Court’s Mabo decision on native title”. In Queensland, the wages of indigenous men and women were paid to the state, which was supposed to hold the money in trust. Hans Pearson, the lead applicant in the case, was seeking to recover wages earned, but alleged to have been unpaid in the period between 1939 and 1972. Pearson believed he earned up to 7,000 pounds as a stockman during the 1950s and 60s and was planning to buy a house in North Queensland for his young family. When he went to collect his money, he only received a fraction of that amount. “When the police called me up to the police station, me and the wife went up and he had a cheque waiting for me for 28 pounds," he told the ABC’s 7.30. “I said: ‘Is this all I’m getting?’ and he said: ‘Well, that’s all you have after 10 years of working’.”

‘ The settlement is as important as the High Court’s Mabo decision on native title.’ 30 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

It has introduced the Ensuring Integrity bill, which the ACTU describes as “a roll-back of the basic rights of working people which has no equivalent in the Western world”. The new bill would give the Minister, employers, or any other party with a ‘sufficient interest’ the power to intervene in the running and work of unions, disqualify people from union leadership, block union mergers and deregister unions. “The Morrison Government insisted that it had no plans to reduce workers’ rights during the campaign despite constant questions from unions and the media,” said ACTU President Michele O’Neil. “Now we see the truth, (Morrison) has called on business to deliver his Minister a wish list and has dusted off previously failed legislation to attack unions. “The first order of business should be acting to tackle low wage growth and stopping penalty rates being cut, but instead (the government) is focused on attacking working people and taking away even more rights. “The right of workers to organise, and for members to democratically run their unions is an internationally recognised human right. Like a free press, free trade unions are essential checks on the powerful in any democracy. Every single worker benefits from the work of unions; attacking unions is another way of attacking every worker’s rights.”

‘ Like a free press, free trade unions are essential checks on the powerful in any democracy.’ — ACTU President Michele O’Neil

NEWS IN BRIEF

AUSTRALIA

Kids ask adults to join them on the barricades A global climate strike is planned for 20 September and many large multinationals say they support their workers taking the day off to participate. The “strike for climate” movement – driven by hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren – is asking workers around the world to down tools on 20 September to demand emergency action to tackle the climate crisis. The ABC reported that several global corporations say they support their workers taking time off. “Clothing company Patagonia went as far as to promise to bail out employees arrested for nonviolent environmental activism,” it said. The ABC contacted several Australian employers and asked if they would allow workers to take the day off to send a message to policy makers. ANZ advised that if any of its 45,000 staff wanted to take the day off, they should talk to their line manager and take some sort of approved leave. Energy Australia and National Australia Bank both confirmed they recognise climate change as a significant challenge for the economy and society, and both give their employees two days of annual “volunteer leave”, which they can use to waive placards demanding greater restriction of emissions if they wish.

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Industry Super Australia said it would allow its employees to attend a day of action. “We support our workforce to stand up for their values, and would work with any employee who wished to participate to make that possible,” it said in a statement.”

‘ Clothing company Patagonia went as far as to promise to bail out employees arrested for non-violent environmental activism.’

THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 31

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

SYDNEY METRO

Waterloo

The Influential Thought Leader at Work, Thurs 29 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Know where you stand with Law, Ethics and Professional Standards in nursing and midwifery, Wed 9 October, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

NSW REGIONAL

August to October 2019 Education

MID NORTH COAST Coffs Harbour

Wound Care: Pressure Injuries – NEW, Fri 4 October, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Midwifery Seminar, Fri 9 August, $60 / $120, 6 CPD Hours, Midwives The Resourceful Nurse / Midwife – NEW, Tue 13 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours Skill-Set for New Managers and Senior Nurses and Midwives, Fri 16 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours Know where you stand with Law, Ethics and Professional Standards in nursing and midwifery, Thurs 22 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Clinical Communication and Documentation, Thurs 12 September, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Writing for Publication – NEW, Thurs 5 September, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol Nurses’ Seminar, Fri 6 September, $60 / $120, 6 CPD Hours Child & Family Health Seminar, Thurs 19 September, $60 / $120, 6 CPD Hours Diabetes for Clinical Staff, Mon 23 September, $95 / $190, 5 CPD Hours Aged Care Seminar, Fri 25 October, $60 / $120, 6 CPD Hours

Blacktown

CENTRAL COAST Gosford

Dementia Management Training, Wed 16 October, $95 / $190, 7 CPD Hours

Know where you stand with Law, Ethics and Professional Standards in nursing and midwifery, Thurs 26 September, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

NORTHERN NSW Grafton

Your Annual CPD Obligations, Fri 27 September, $50 / $100, 4 CPD Hours, RN, MW, EN

Port Macquarie

Medications: How we do it better, Wed 11 September, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Lismore

Alcohol and Other Drugs: The Current Situation – NEW Thurs 3 October, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Tweed Heads

Wound Care: Venous Insufficiency – NEW, Fri 9 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours Wound Care: Arterial Insufficiency – NEW, Fri 20 September, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

HUNTER NEW ENGLAND Armidale

Medications: How we do it better, Tue 13 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours Clinical Communication and Documentation, Wed 14 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Maitland

Alcohol and Other Drugs: The Current Situation– NEW Sat 31 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours Bullying: Let’s put an end to it, Wed 2 October, $50 / $100, 4 CPD Hours

Campbelltown

Dementia Management Training, Fri 13 September, $95 / $190, 7 CPD Hours Emotional Intelligence Training, Thurs 17 October, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Dee Why

Medications: How we do it better, Wed 21 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Gymea

Clinical Communication and Documentation, Thurs 10 October, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Newcastle

Palliative Care Workshop – NEW, Thurs 12 September, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

ILLAWARRA SHOALHAVEN Wollongong Wound Care: Negative Pressure Wound Therapy, Thurs 15 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Foot Care: A Nurses Role, Thurs 5 September, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours Wound Care: Pathophysiology, Skin Tears and Pressure Injury Prevention, Fri 18 October, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

WESTERN NSW Dubbo

Aged Care Seminar, Thurs 22 August, $60 / $120. 6 CPD Hours

Orange

Clinical Communication and Documentation, Wed 23 October, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours Your Annual CPD Obligations, Thurs 24 October, $50 / $100, RN, MW, EN

For full details of courses including course content, venue & times, please go to www.nswnma.asn.au

CPD

Attendance at NSWNMA education sessions may count towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours. The number of hours noted beside each course is the maximum amount of claimable CPD hours. Unless otherwise noted, our courses are suitable for all Nurses, Midwives and Assistants in Nursing/Midwifery. 32 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

YOUR RIGHTS

Ask

Judith Breaking News Review of the Service Check Register

The Ministry of Health has commenced a review of the current policy on the Service Check Register (PD2013_036). Public health unions have been invited to be part of this process. This is most welcome and long overdue. The Association has persistently advocated over recent years that the SCR has all too often become a punitive tool, far too easily and inappropriately applied, and not reserved for the most serious matters. A review does not of itself remedy the errors or misapplications from the past. Nonetheless, it is ready recognition that the manner and attitude regarding its use must change. Code of Conduct The Ministry recently approached public health unions regarding some proposed changes to the Code of Conduct (PD2015_049). The small number of changes advanced by the Ministry were uncontroversial, although one aspect remains subject to further discussion and clarification.

Continuing education allowance at Healthe I work at a private hospital run by Healthe Care. What are the essential requirements of getting paid the continuing education allowance? I am an RN. Clause 17A of the Healthe Care Pty Ltd (New South Wales Hospitals) and the NSWNMA/ANMF NSW Branch Enterprise Agreement 2017 set out the key ingredients. In short, you must hold an additional educational qualification in a clinical field. It must be in addition to that which led to your registration, and it must be considered directly relevant to the competencies and skills required of your position.

When it comes to your rights and entitlements at work, NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda has the answers.

Annual leave before it is due I am a registered nurse working in a public hospital. I recently was directed to use up all of my annual leave so I had a nil balance. Can they do this? While the NSW Health Service is required to manage and monitor annual leave balances beyond 30 days – a NSW Government requirement for some years which the Association strongly disputed at the time – you cannot be forced to take annual leave before it is due. The Leave Matters Manual for the NSW Health Service (PD2019_010) could not be clearer: “… an employee is not to be directed to take pro rata annual leave without their express consent.” (section 2.5.3).

Tea breaks at Opal I work in a nursing home run by Opal. How many tea breaks do I get each shift? Clause 30.2 of the Opal Aged Care (NSW) Enterprise Agreement 2016, sets out that each employee is entitled to a ten-minute tea break for each four hours worked, to be taken at an agreed time. This break will count as time worked. If you work eight hours for example, you would then be entitled to two tenminute tea breaks in addition to your unpaid meal break. Remember, the tea breaks can be combined by agreement to one 20-minute tea break during your eight-hour shift.

FACS leave and definition of family I work in a public hospital. I needed to have my last shift off to care for my partner’s child, who was sick and required medical attention. Is this covered by FACS leave even though I am not the biological parent of the child? Yes. The Leave Matters Manual for the NSW Health Service (PD2019_010) makes it clear that “…a child, including an adopted child, stepchild, foster child, ex-nuptial child, or a child of the employee’s spouse or partner …”

is included in the definition of family and/or relative.

Flu vaccination at Whiddon I am employed as an RN in a Whiddon nursing home. If they need me to have a flu vaccination, who pays? Under Clause 13.2 of the Whiddon Group Agreement 2017, such vaccination/s will be at Whiddon’s cost.

Underpayment of wages

I work in a public hospital in an AiN role. My last pay was two shifts short. How quickly can this be fixed? Clause 27(v)(a)(i) of the Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award sets out that an underpayment equal to or greater than one day’s pay must be rectified within three working days.

Acting up at Allity

I work in a nursing home run by Allity. Recently I acted up as the care manager when they were away. What should I get paid? Under Clause 18.2 of the Allity Enterprise Agreement (New South Wales) 2018, an employee required to act in the position of care manager will be paid at the higher classification rate for the whole of the period, provided the period is for three consecutive working days or more.

Unfair dismissal

Following a meeting with the aged care site manager, I was terminated for supposed short comings. None of these had ever been raised with me during my three years there. How long do I have to make an unfair dismissal application? Working in aged care you would be under the Fair Work Act 2009. You have 21 days from your termination to make such an application, using the form provided by the Fair Work Commission. You should contact the Association immediately for advice and assistance, along with identifying any barriers to making such an application.

THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 33

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

CPD

2019

Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol Nurses’ Seminar

WATERLOO

Friday 6 September NSWNMA 50 O’Dea Ave. Waterloo 9am to 3.45pm

All Members $60 Non-members $120 Lunch & refreshments provided

Introduction to Open Dialogue, Dr Steven Mayers This workshop will cover the seven principles of the model and how the approach of Open Dialogue differs from current models of support in healthcare. Originating in Finland, Open Dialogue is a person-centred approach, which aims to mobilise psychosocial resources around a person by engaging the person, their family, and social network in a series of meetings. Dr Steven Mayers is a UK-trained Clinical Psychologist who works as a Senior Research Associate at St Vincent’s Centre for Family Based Mental Health Care. Observation and Documentation: Survival Tools for Legal Issues This afternoon panel will consist of NSWNMA Legal Officers who will provide insights from actual legal experiences within Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol and take questions from the floor regarding your queries around legal issues in Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol.

Child and Family Health WATERLOO Seminar Thursday 19 September NSWNMA 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo 9am to 4pm

All Members $60 Non-members $120 Lunch & refreshments provided

Hear from a range of speakers, network with colleagues and share experiences across the child and family health arena.

PROGRAM:

CPD

• The First 2000 Days Framework, Maternity, Child, Youth and Paediatrics, Health and Social Policy Branch, NSW Health • Infant States and Cues,Tresillian Family Care • Infant Mental Health, Tresillian Family Care • Let’s Talk About Toddlers, Karitane • And more … For full details of courses including course content, venue & times, please go to www.nswnma.asn.au

CPD

SOCIAL MEDIA

Do you have a story to tell? An opinion to share? Nurse Uncut is a blog written by everyday nurses and midwives. We welcome your ideas at nurseuncut@nswnma.asn.au

New on our Support Nurses YouTube channel

NSWNMA AGED CARE CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS A recap of all the activities NSWNMA members have been involved in since the campaign for Aged Care Ratios started in May last year. http://bit.ly/ AgedCareHighlights 24-HOUR NURSE: A MOTHER’S DAY STORY In this video originally posted by HelloCare, Nicky Hondros, a palliative care nurse, shares her and her mum’s heartfelt story and provides a little glimpse into what it’s like caring for someone living with dementia. http://bit.ly/24HourNurse Connect with us on Facebook Nurse Uncut www.facebook. com/NurseUncutAustralia New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association www.facebook.com/nswnma Ratios put patient safety first www.facebook.com/ safepatientcare Aged Care Nurses www.facebook.com/ agedcarenurses Look for your local branch on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/nswnma Follow us on Twitter @nswnma / @nurseuncut Share on Instagram by tagging @nswnma and don’t forget to use the hashtag #nswnma!

Harsher laws for impersonating nurses and midwives New laws have been implemented for those caught purporting to be someone with a protected title. https://www. nurseuncut.com.au/harsher-lawsfor-impersonating-nurses-andmidwives/

What do Aboriginal Australians want from their aged care system? Neuroscience Research Australia’s Tony Broe shares what he thinks needs to change to ensure our Aged Care system caters for elderly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. https://www.nurseuncut.com.au/ what-do-aboriginal-australianswant-from-their-aged-caresystem-community-connection -is-number-one/

“It broke my heart” RN Rhianna reflects on the state of Aged Care. https://www.nurseuncut. com.au/it-broke-my-heart-an-rnreflects-on-the-state-of-aged-care/

Safe procedural sedation competencies to be rolled out The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists has developed an agreed set of safe procedural sedation competencies. https://www.nurseuncut.com. au/safe-procedural-sedationcompetencies-to-be-rolled-out/

Five things to know before becoming a nurse From Hollywood getting it wrong, to the multitude of acronyms you’ll need to learn, here’s the top five things you should know you’re thinking of becoming a nurse. https://www.nurseuncut.com.au/5things-to-know-before-becominga-nurse/

Listen to our podcast Violence in nursing and midwifery – Dr Jacqui Pich http://bit.ly/ violence-pich THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 35

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commercial airline, international and domestic commercial stretcher, long distance ground medical escort service and air travel companion. We are available to answer any questions or concerns about transportation for you or a loved one 7 days a week 24 hours a day. Please

do not hesitate to call, our team will be happy to help! For further information visit our website www.skymed.com.au or phone 1300 759 633.

LIONS NURSES’ SCHOLARSHIP Looking for funding to further your studies in 2020? THE LIONS NURSES’ SCHOLARSHIPS OPEN ON 1 AUGUST AND CLOSE ON 31 OCTOBER EACH YEAR The trustees of the Lions Nurses’ Scholarship Foundation invite applications for scholarships. Nurses eligible for these scholarships must be resident and employed within the State of NSW or ACT. You must currently be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia

and working within the nursing profession in NSW or the ACT, and must have a minimum of three years’ experience in the nursing profession – the last twelve months of which must have been spent in NSW or the ACT. Details of eligibility and the scholarships available (which include study projects either within Australia or overseas), and

application forms are available from: www.nswnma.asn.au/education Administration Liaison Lions Nurses’ Scholarship Foundation 50 O’Dea Avenue Waterloo NSW 2017 or contact Matt West on 1300 367 962 or education@nswnma.asn.au

COMPLETED APPLICATIONS MUST BE IN THE HANDS OF THE SECRETARY NO LATER THAN 31 OCTOBER

36 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

SOCIAL MEDIA

your

Say Want to survive nursing: be zany

What nurses and midwives said and liked on Facebook www.facebook.com/nswnma

their child die too. Managing work and family life. Paperwork, patient care versus time management, and lack of respect from management.

We asked nurses what the hardest part of the job was. I have been a nurse for 43 years and I have seen so many changes. From having students (Hospital 1st, 2nd, 3rd-year) who worked full time shifts (and usually there were 40 students per group) to now having students for 3-6 weeks and restricted to what they can do. I have worked in all areas of care from neonatal intensive care to paediatric ICU emergency aged care and management to education, and now a midwife for 20 years. In every area there are different stresses and hardships. I have survived this long because I have good support from family and I leave work, at work. When I started psychiatric nursing in the 70s my tutor said: “To survive nursing you need a good outside interest and to be a little zany.” His words are true. I’m still nursing 43 years on. The inability to complete allocated tasks and patient care in a timely manner, as per management expectation - it’s a very unrealistic expectation. Watching really young people die. It’s so painful watching a parent seeing

the wealthy, big dollar contracts let out without due process, big dollars to wealthy schools, misogyny, no fair go for pensioners, NDIS underfunded even though dollars are allocated for it; need I go on? We must speak loud and clear that our industry super funds have to be left alone to do what they are doing best. This is disgusting and so wrong.

the gallery

Liberal puppets and fat-cat banks threaten industry super Nurses and midwives slam the Morrison Government’s moves to weaken industry super. It’s a terrible idea to legislate to bring industry funds down to the level of the badly performing retail funds. People need to stand up and PROTECT the industry superannuation funds. Stop the bosses and big business agenda supported by the Liberal puppets. As a newly retired nurse I have firsthand knowledge of what industry super can do for members. Selfsufficient, not a drain on government or tax payers. We all need to fight for our super funds to keep on keeping on. Bugger the fat- cat banks. We all need to accept that this current government will do what they want when they want. This is not the only example. Think of the people on Nauru, tax cuts for

What you need to know

We asked you about what people should know before they go into nursing. There will be NO work– life balance. It is a very rewarding career but very challenging as well. If you can handle shift work day or night, deal with bodily fluids, abuse from patients, relatives and staff, as well as paperwork and enduring strains on your body then go for it. If you are a superhuman, who can endure abuse criticism and praise along with hard work and shift work and balancing a life and family, then go for it. They are special humans and deserve much more money and benefits for the job they do. Late-to-early shifts suck worse than night shift.

/5 1/ Forbes nurses and midwives gear up to save services at their local hospital 2/ N urses and midwives scrub up to rally to stop Adani 3/ T he Parkes community are joined by nurses and midwives in a bid to save their local maternity services 4/ L ocal Lismore activists join a protest for climate action 5/ L ocal kids join with nurses and midwives in Parkes to save their local maternity services

THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 37

needed it. did it. loved it. Recruit a new member and go into the draw to win a 5 night Optimal Wellness Program for two at the Golden Door Wellness Retreat & Spa, Hunter Valley valued at over $6,000

THE 2019 – 2020

NSWNMA Member Recruitment scheme prize PRIZE DRAWN 30 JUNE 2020

The perfect place to reset your mind and body and gain a wealth of knowledge to create a healthier, happier and more motivated you. You and a friend will experience: • • • • • •

5 nights’ accommodation in a private villa Personal welcome consultation on arrival All nutritious meals and snacks Diverse selection of group ﬁtness activities, relaxation and mind-body classes Daily program of health education seminars and workshops Use of all the facilities including a heated indoor pool, outdoor pool, tennis courts, gymnasium, indoor activity studios and outdoor relaxation areas • Two luxurious spa treatments including one Classic Facial and one Swedish massage • One wellness consultation with your choice of: wellness coaching, meditation, yoga or standard personal training session • Access to all the spa facilities including steam room, spa bath and relaxation lounges. Guided by a team of health professionals, this program will give you a complete understanding of the art of skilful living and homegrown wellness – a results driven concept the Golden Door team is highly trained in. Optimise your goals to reach new heights in all aspects of your life.

Every member you sign up over the year gives you an entry in the draw! RECRUITERS NOTE: Join online at www.nswnma.asn.au If you refer a member to join online, make sure you ask them to put your name and workplace on the online application form, so you will be entered in the draw.

Conditions apply. Prize must be redeemed by 30 June 2021 and is subject to room availability. Block out dates include all Australian and NZ school holidays and Christmas / New Year period. The Optimal Wellness Program commences Sunday through Friday each week. The prize will be drawn on 30 June 2020. 38 | THE AUGUST 2019 for an unclaimed prize it must be held up to 3 months from the original draw date. NSW Permit no: LTPM/19/04224. If LAMP a redraw is required

NURSING RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES Revelations continue at the Aged Care Royal Commission. NSWNMA and ANMF are following developments carefully. Advance Care Planning in Australia, Background Paper 5 Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, June 2019 This paper provides a brief overview of the practice of advance care planning in Australia. It has been prepared by staff of the Office of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety but does not represent a direction or position of the Royal Commission in relation to advance care planning. This paper provides a high-level description of the components of advance care planning, an overview of the practices in each state and territory and a brief explanation of advance care planning as it relates to aged care. It does not comprehensively examine the differences in advance care planning regimes in each state and territory, or their relative advantages or limitations. https://agedcare. royalcommission.gov.au/news/ Pages/media-releases/advancecare-planning-in-Australiabackground-paper-5.aspx

Elder abuse: Key issues and emerging evidence Adam Dean, June 2019 Elder abuse is a multifaceted and often hidden form of abuse. There is currently no national data on the prevalence of elder abuse in Australia. Based on international studies, it is estimated that between 2 per cent and 14 per cent of older people in high- or middleincome countries experience elder abuse every year. The term 'elder abuse' covers a range of harmful behaviours, including physical, emotional, sexual and financial abuse and neglect. This paper provides an overview of elder abuse in Australia. It discusses key issues involved in how elder abuse is defined and

examines its prevalence, impact and associated risk factors, with a focus on implications of recent research for policy and practice. https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/ publications/cfca-paper/ elder-abuse

Aged care: a quick guide Alex Grove, Updated 5 June 2019 The aged care system caters for older Australians who can no longer live without support in their own home. Care is provided in people’s homes, in the community and in residential aged care facilities (nursing homes) by a wide variety of providers. The Australian Government is the primary funder and regulator of the aged care system. Government expenditure on aged care services, largely by the Australian Government, was $18.4 billion in 2017–18. The Aged Care Act 1997 (the Act) and the associated Aged Care Principles set out the legislative framework for the funding and regulation of aged care, although services are also provided through contractual arrangements outside of the Act. The Australian Government Department of Health (DoH) is responsible for the operation of the Act. This quick guide provides a brief overview of aged care in Australia. It describes the types of care provided, the people who use aged care, the process for accessing care, the organisations that provide care, and the regulatory arrangements for ensuring quality care. It does not describe care that is provided outside of the formal aged care system, such as care provided by family members or accommodation in retirement villages. https://www.aph.gov.au/About_ Parliament/Parliamentary_ Departments/Parliamentary_ Library/pubs/rp/rp1819/ Quick_Guides/AgedCare2019

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Tax and Financial Practices of Australia’s largest FamilyOwned Aged Care Companies Tax Justice Network – Australia and Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research, May 13, 2019 Australia’s six largest familyowned aged care companies make up a significant and growing portion of the aged care sector and warrant greater scrutiny. These six companies received over $711 million in annual federal funding to operate 130 facilities, with almost 12,000 beds. Several of the largest familyowned aged care companies, owned by some of Australia’s richest families, have complex corporate structures, intertwined with trusts that appear specifically designed to avoid tax. Despite receiving an average of nearly $60,000 per year per resident, there is very limited public information available on these companies. These family-owned aged care companies highlight the lack of transparency and accountability on public funding in the aged care sector and provide clear examples of why simple reforms are needed to restore public integrity in both aged care and the broader tax system. While there is no doubt that the aged care sector will require an increase in public funding, there is also no doubt that these families have made considerable profits from a publicly funded industry. Before any increase in funding, measures must be put in place to ensure that money is directly spent on improving staffing levels and the quality of care. http://cictar.org/all-in-thefamily-tax-and-financialpractices-of-australias-largestfamily-owned-aged-carecompanies/ THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 39

INSURANCE BENEFITS

For NSWNMA Members

Insurance protection when you need it most The NSWNMA is committed to protecting the interests of nurses and midwives by purchasing a range of insurances to cover members.

Journey Accident Insurance provides cover for members who are injured as a result of an accident while travelling between their home and their regular place of employment.

Professional Indemnity Insurance provides legal representation and protection for members when required. Make sure your membership remains financial at all times in order to access the insurance and other benefits provided by the NSWNMA.

Unsure if you are financial?

It’s easy! Ring and check today on 8595 1234 (metro) or 1300 367 962 (rural) Change your payment information online at www.nswnma.asn.au

www.nswnma.asn.au 40 |

IMPORTANT NOTE From 1 December 2018 the insurance benefits have changed as follows: • Journey Accident Insurance: the waiting period for benefits is now 14 days THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 • Professional Indemnity Insurance: the limit per claim is now $5 million

CROSSWORD

test your

Knowledge 2

17 19

ACROSS 1. Clumping together of red blood cells (17) 8. Stammering (8) 9. A Japanese form of acupressure (7) 11. Pain and stiffness in the joints or muscles (10) 13. Greek god of light (6) 14. Inflammation of the white substance of the brain (17) 19. Intramuscular (1.1) 20. A knife for dividing muscle (7)22. Sanctimonious, self-

righteous (9) 24. A tricyclic antidepressant, used to treat depression and panic disorder and to relieve chronic severe pain (13) 25. Working against the existing power structure, as of society or government (17) 29. Ill-considered, thoughtless (13) 33. An act that does not achieve its intended

goal (17) DOWN 1. Nutritional intake in excess of normal, in an attempt to replace nutritional deficiencies (17) 2. Shellfish (7) 3. A contorted facial expression (7) 4. Bundles or bands of sensory nerve fibres (8) 5. A hormone that stimulates ovulation in female and androgen release in

male (1.1.1.1) 6. Caused by a stroke or seizure (5) 7. A physician who deals with the relationship between neurological processes and psychiatric disorders (17) 10. Instinctive, spontaneous, intuitive (9) 12. A representation of a region or structure (3) 15. A reddish pigment sometimes present in urine (11) 16. Without smell (9) 17. Having nothing inside (5) 18. Any enzyme that catalyses the transfer of a chemical group (11) 21. A person who is voluntarily absent from country (5) 23. Small saclike dilatations (5) 26. Year (5) 27. A Hawaiian flower garland (3) 28. Colloid system in which the dispersion is liquid or gas (3) 30. A type of greenhouse gas, emitted during the production of aluminium (1.1.1) 31. An index for estimating obesity (1.1.1) 32. Early pregnancy hormone (1.1.1)

THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 41

Scholarship

Activism • Campaign • Advocacy Roz Norman was an outstanding

activist, branch official and Councillor of the NSWNMA and ANMF. In honour of her outstanding contributions, the Roz Norman Scholarship was created to further humanitarian, social or community causes. The scholarship covers fees for an approved course promoting activism and the development of campaigning skills or public advocacy, including ongoing financial support for reasonable costs associated with campaigning for a period of one year, up to a maximum of $5,000. NSWNMA Branch Officials or highly active members who can demonstrate leadership qualities are encouraged to apply. Successful recipients are required to report back to Committee of Delegates (COD) at the end of the scholarship period.

Applications open 1 July, closing 30 September 2019

To apply go to bit.ly/RozNormanScholarship For further enquiries, contact NSWNMA • email: gensec@nswnma.asn.au • METRO: (02) 8595 1234 • RURAL: 1300 367 962 42 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

REVIEWS

book club

S PE

Deborah Moggach Hachette Australia: abbeys.com.au RRP $29.99 (Pre-order) ISBN 9781472260468

INTE IAL

ST RE

The Carer

SPE C

All books can be ordered through the publisher or your local bookshop.

Slow Walk to the Phone Mary Keily

Xlibrus: amazon.com or contact the author marykeily@ hotmail.com RRP $65.00 ISBN 9781796001693

“Slow walk to the phone” is an expression used by older nurses as a sarcastic reaction to certain patients who are for full, active resuscitation. Such gallows humour has not gone unnoticed in these short stories, spanning three decades. The book also features the joy of connection and the marvel at resilience. It starts at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane in 1979 and weaves its way until 2019 through other hospitals and homes in Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales.

Australian nursing sisters, who overcame the challenging adversities of two very different circumstances. This book has been compiled from their edited memoirs, supplemented by various conversations and interviews. Interspersed throughout the book and printed in italics, are Lynette Ramsay Silver’s historical details providing additional narrative to compliment firsthand accounts. It is a tribute to the huge contributions made by our nurses in the Australian Outback, and to those who served during wartime.

Fundamentals of Nursing + Physical Examination and Health Assessment Value Pack

Angels of Mercy Lynette Ramsay Silver Sally Milner Publishing: www.pegasuspublishers. com RRP $39.99 ISBN 978186315009|

Angels of Mercy: Far West Far East, tells the gripping stories of two

Michelle Forbes, Elizabeth Watt, Jackie Crisp, Clint Douglas, Geraldine Rebeiro, and Donna Water Elsevier: elsevierhealth.com.au RRP $241.21 ISBN 9780729560139

I A his E James is getting on a bit and needs full-time help. So Phoebe and Robert, L IN T middle-aged offspring, employ Mandy, who seems willing to take him off their hands. But as James regales his family with tales of Mandy's virtues, their shopping trips, and the shared pleasure of their journeys to garden centres, Phoebe and Robert sense something is amiss. Is this really their father, the distant figure who never once turned up for a sports day, now happily chortling over cuckoo clocks and television soaps? Then something happens that throws everything into new relief, and Phoebe and Robert discover that life most definitely does not stop for the elderly.

Ideal for first-year nursing students to gain an understanding of the fundamentals of nursing, physical examination and health assessment tools and techniques. This pack includes Potter and Perry's Fundamentals of Nursing 5e and Jarvis’s Physical Examination & Health Assessment 2e, ANZ Edition

Long Term Caring. Residential, Home and Community Aged Care 4th Edition Karen Scott, Margaret Webb and Claire Kostelnick

Elsevier: elsevierhealth. com.au RRP $ $83.35 ISBN 9780729542814

This is an ideal reference for students undertaking a Certificate III Individual Support and Certificate IV Ageing Support. Written by leading educators and practitioners from Australia and New Zealand, the text prepares students for all aspects of personal care in a variety of aged care settings.

THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 43

Winter is here. Keep warm in NSWNMA winter favourites which are not only stylish and comfortable, but also affordable and sold at cost to members.

2 3 Red Hoodies and 4 Navy Hoodies

$45. Sizes:10-16 and S-3XL. 80% cotton/20% poly brushed fleece, kangaroo pocket with full lining hood.

NEW 5 NSWNMA Water Bottle

$9. Metallic water bottles with infuser. Stainless Steel inside. For keeping hot and cold beverages.

1 Active Soft Shell Navy Jacket $50. Poly/spandex, micro polar fleece lining, breathable fabric 2 Snowy Puffer Jacket $50. Sizes: Ladies 10-18 and Unisex S-3XL. Light, warm and comfortable to wear. 380T nylon outer, poly fill padding. Two zippered pockets and elasticated cuffs. Top value for cold winter conditions.

ORDER FORM

Name

1 Active Soft Shell Navy Jacket $50. Quantity:

Size:

10 S

12 M

14 L

16 XL

18 XXL

XXXL

Address Postcode Phone H

2 Snowy Puffer Jacket $50. Quantity:

Size:

10 S

12 M

14 L

3 Red Hoodies $45. Quantity:

Size:

10 S

12 M

14 L

16 XL 16 XL

18 XXL

MOB XXXL

10 S

12 M

14 L

16 XL

XXL

XXXL

Total cost of order $

44 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

Visa

Money Order

Name of card holder Card number

XXL

5 NSWNMA Water Bottle $9. Quantity:

Postage and handling $5 per item.

Email Method of Payment Cheque MasterCard

4 Navy Hoodies $45. Quantity:

Size:

XXXL

Expiry date

Signature

TO ORDER » WWW.NSWNMA.ASN.AU

EMAIL gensec@nswnma.asn.au FAX (02) 9662 1414 POST NSWNMA, 50 O’Dea Ave. Waterloo NSW 2017

REVIEWS

at the movies

AY A

MEM RO

WIN

ME T

The Australian Dream

GIV E

R BE

MEM AL

R BE

RUR

If you would like to be a movie reviewer, email lamp@nswnma.asn.au

GIV E

From shy country kid to two-time Brownlow medallist and Australian of the Year, Adam Goodes is an inspiration to many. The footy field was where he thrived; the only place where the colour of his skin was irrelevant. Goodes’ world fell apart when he became the target of racial abuse during a game, which spiralled into a public backlash against him. He spoke out about racism when Australia was not ready to hear the ugly truth, retiring quietly from the AFL, heartbroken. Using the stunning athleticism of Goodes at the peak of his powers as well as the game itself as the film’s backdrop, The Australian Dream prompts questions about Australia’s relationship with racism and its ability to confront its own past. This compelling and provocative film uses interviews from both sides of the debate to ask probing and fundamental questions about what it means to be Australian and what it takes for any individual to stand up for what they truly believe in. The Australian Dream is a deeply personal and comprehensive exploration of Goodes’ own journey which saw him retreat from everyday life only to return determined to rise above the ugliness he had been forced to confront. The Australian Dream is something people reach for and many people obtain, but there’s an emptiness at the heart of it because Australia has not resolved the questions of its history. If the Australian Dream is rooted in racism, what can be done to redefine it for the next generation? In cinemas 22 August. Email The Lamp by 20 August to be in the draw to win one of 10 double passes to The Australian Dream thanks to Madman. Email your name, membership number, address and telephone number to lamp@nswnma.asn.au for a chance to win!

Schitts Creek – Season 5 In season five, the Roses are finally thriving in Schitt’s Creek, and find themselves ready to take their personal relationships and business pursuits to the next level. Moira returns from a breakthrough film shoot in in Bosnia with a clear exit strategy and a renewed sense of purpose, and with that newfound energy she is inspired to leave her mark on the town by launching her most ambitious artistic endeavour yet. Meanwhile, the reputation of the Rosebud Motel is steadily building under Johnny’s leadership, but managing the individual needs of his staff, Stevie and Roland, proves to be a greater challenge. Email The Lamp by the end of August to be in the draw to win one of five copies of Schitts Creek – Season 5 thanks to Acorn Media. Email your name, membership number, address and telephone number to lamp@nswnma.asn.au for a chance to win! THE LAMP AUGUST 2019 | 45

DIARY DATES

make a date

Diary Dates for conferences, seminars, meetings and reunions is a free service for members. lamp@nswnma.asn.au

NEW SOUTH WALES 45th International Mental Health Nursing Conference: Integrated Care: People, Practice, Policy 8–10 October 2019 Sydney, NSW https://www.acmhn2019.com/ EVENTS: INTERSTATE Workplace Mental Health Symposium 2019 2–3 September 2019 Brisbane, Queensland https://nswmentalhealthcommission. com.au/events/ workplace-mental-health-symposium-2019 Australian College of Nurse Practitioners National Conference: Transforming Healthcare 2–5 September 2019 Albert Park, Victoria https://www.acnp.org.au/ The Australian and New Zealand Society of Occupational Medicine (ANZSOM) Annual Scientific Meeting 2019 Sunday 27 October to Wednesday 30 October 2019 The Playford Hotel, Adelaide www.anzsom.org.au/asm-2019 Movement Disorder Chapter Conference 2019 14 November 2019 Adelaide, SA https://members.anna.asn.au/iCore/ Events/Event_Display.aspx?EventK ey=19MDCNOV&WebsiteKey=678 8d953-9b77-483d-8a64-fff21863280d

INTERNATIONAL International Council of Nurses (ICN) 21st International Conference on Nursing 25–26 September 2019 London United Kingdom www.icn.ch/ Australasian Neuroscience Nurses’ Association 17–18 October 2019 Intercontinental Hotel, Wellington New Zealand www.anna.asn.au 2019 World Mental Health Congress 5–8 November 2019 Buenos Aires, Argentina https://wfmh.global/world-congress-2019/ International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress 2021 Abu Dhabi, UAE www.icn.ch/

The Psychogeriatric Nurses Association of Australia’s 2019 Conference

RAISE YOUR VOICE Collaboration working in Older People’s Mental Health, Aged and Dementia Care

FRIDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2019 - UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG Dr. Suzanne Packer AM - Australian Senior 2019; Prof. Maria Fiatarone Singh, Geriatrician; Catherine Brown, NP Psychogeriatrics & Cognition; Danielle Kennedy, NP (Aged Care); and many more! Elder abuse; responding to wellbeing in context of new age care standards. An important event for nurses working in the field and allied health staff. Program/info/tickets: pgna.org.au/conference; info@pgna.org.au

46 | THE LAMP AUGUST 2019

Please send event details in the format used here: event name, date and location, contact details – by the 5th of each preceding month. Send your event details to: lamp@nswnma.asn.au Fax 02 9662 1414 Post 50 O’Dea Ave, Waterloo NSW 2017. All listings are edited for the purposes of style and space. Priority is given to non-profit professional events.

EVENTS: REUNIONS St Vincent’s Hospital Lismore Past Nurses Annual Reunion Saturday, 31 August 2019 Lesley Briggs 0419487763 or Maria Miller marialouise1954@hotmail.com 50–year Anniversary Sydney Hospital Graduate Nurses 1969-1972 Reunion Lunch Sunday, 29 September 2019 Kathleen Wall (Allen) 0420305906 pkwall33@tpg.com.au Susan Crawford 0400723020 denis.p1@ bigpond.com Hastings District Hospital (Port Macquarie) 25-year Reunion Saturday 9 November 2019 Karen Slater 0408984864 k.c.slater@bigpond.com

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Advertise in The Lamp and reach more than 66,000 nurses and midwives. To advertise contact Danielle Nicholson 02 8595 2139 / 0429 269 750 dnicholson@nswnma.asn.au

Welcome to

Improved communication channels and engagement

MEMBER CENTRAL

Seamless access to membership details Functionality at your fingertips

THE NEW ONLINE SYSTEM FOR NSWNMA MEMBERS

Unique NSWNMA member login with email

Create your new member login account & you could win a trip to Bali! Log on to online.nswnma.asn.au and create your login to be automatically entered in the draw to win a 5 night holiday to

THE TRANS RESORT BALI, SEMINYAK

You and a friend will enjoy: • Five nights’ accommodation in a Premier Room • Return airport transfer • Breakfast daily for two • One x Friday night buffet or set dinner for two • One x Sunday Yum Cha for two • One x 30 minute massage for two • 20% off Food & Beverage.

The NSWNMA will arrange and pay for return flights for two to Denpasar, Bali.

online.nswnma.asn.au

log on and create your login from 1 Feb 2019 – 31 Jan 2020 and you will automatically be entered in the draw to win.

Prize drawn 1 Feb 2020

Full terms and conditions are available at www.nswnma.asn.au/nswnmamembers/contests-and-promotions Conditions apply. Prize must be redeemed by 31 January 2021 and is subject to room availability. Block out dates: 23 – 29 January 2020 , 21 – 31 May 2020, 1 June – 31 July 2020 and 23 December 2020 – 6 January 2021. Competition opens on 1 February 2019 and closes 31 January 2020. The prize will be drawn on 1 February 2020. If a redraw is required for an unclaimed prize it must be held up to 3 months from the original draw date. NSW Permit no: LTPM/18/02955

Count towards CPD Hours

Ready

Venue & time: NSWNMA 50 O’Dea Avenue Waterloo 8.30am-3.30pm

r 2019 e b o 19 Oct

Cost: $40 members & students $60 non-members

Wellness, resilience and building the skills needed for future workplace success

SESSIONS

KEYNOTES

Start your day with

Yoga & meditation

Be inspired

Be healthy

Kurt Fearnley

Kathryn Hawkins

Paralympian & Disability Rights Advocate

Dietitian, Nutritionist & Presenter

Be Financially Fit

Learn smart investment strategies to budget, manage debt and plan for retirement.

Breakfast & lunch included

Be assertive

Learn the skills to communicate in a calm and positive way, without being aggressive, or passive.

Be prepared

Be mindful

Lucinda aka The Mindful Nurse RN, Life Coach, mindfulness & meditation teacher

What is compassion fatigue? Is it different to vicarious trauma? What are your professional obligations? Use tools to identify and assess.

Be knowledgeable

Confused by your agreement or Award? Get real advice and navigate your way through the terminology to better understand roster requirements, days off, split shifts and more.

Register now! bit.ly/futurereadyconf Authorised by B. Holmes, General Secretary, New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association, 50 O’Dea Ave, Waterloo NSW 2017